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ID #SA1101016
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Chinese Export Mahjong Set, Shanghai, Circa 1925
Sold by Luke Honey Ltd
sold SA1101016
Sorry, but this item has been sold.

Luke Honey Ltd

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jul 2018
Browse dealers 22 items
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Id #SA1101016
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Chinese Export Mahjong Set, Shanghai, Circa 1925

1900 - 1920
Sold 27 February 2025 · Luke Honey Ltd
This “Chinese Export Mahjong Set, Shanghai, Circa 1925” found a buyer.

It was listed by Luke Honey Ltd. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

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Antique Chinese BoxVintage Gaming ChestWooden Gaming Box Ask the dealer for something similar
Description

the wooden case with decorative brass mounts and a brass carrying handle, the sliding front panel decorated with Chinese characters, opening to reveal five drawers, containing a set of bamboo and bone-mounted tiles:

-36 Circles (1-9)

-36 Characters (1-9)

-36 Bamboos (1-9)

-16 Winds (N, S, E & W)

-8 Decorative Bonus Tiles

-12 Dragons (4 White (ie blank), 4 Red and 4 Green.

- 4 blank tiles.

A quantity of bone scoring sticks, 4 bone Wind Discs in a bone Ming Pot and four miniature bone Mahjong dice in a miniature wooden box with a sliding lid.

Sold with a 1920s rule book: Mah Jongg How to Play and Score according to the Chinese Rules [SECOND EDITION] 'Arranged by an English Enthusiast of the Game', published by J. Jaques & Son, Ltd, London, EC.

Size: 23.7cm wide, 16.1cm deep, 15.6cm high.

Shipping: Free shipping within the Mainland UK. International buyers outside the UK: Please contact me for a competitive shipping quote.

Stock Reference Number: 2070

Date of Manufacture

Luke Honey Ltd has dated this Chinese Export Mahjong Set to the 1920s.

Physical Dimensions
Height
15.6cm (6.14")
Width
23.7cm (9.33")
Depth
16.1cm (6.34")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1101016
Dealers Internal Reference
2070
Description
The wooden case with decorative brass mounts and a brass carrying handle, the sliding front panel decorated with Chinese characters, opening to reveal five drawers, containing a set of bamboo and bone-mounted tiles:
fig 1. A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters.
fig 1. Chinese Export Mahjong Set, Shanghai, Circa 1925

36 Circles (1-9)

36 Characters (1-9)

36 Bamboos (1-9)

16 Winds (N, S, E & W)

8 Decorative Bonus Tiles

12 Dragons (4 White (ie blank), 4 Red and 4 Green.

4 blank tiles.

“
A quantity of bone scoring sticks, 4 bone Wind Discs in a bone Ming Pot and four miniature bone Mahjong dice in a miniature wooden box with a sliding lid.
Luke Honey Ltd
fig 2. A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters.
fig 2. Chinese Export Mahjong Set, Shanghai, Circa 1925

Sold with a 1920s rule book: Mah Jongg How to Play and Score according to the Chinese Rules [SECOND EDITION] 'Arranged by an English Enthusiast of the Game', published by J. Jaques & Son, Ltd, London, EC.

fig 3. A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters.
fig 3. Chinese Export Mahjong Set, Shanghai, Circa 1925

Size: 23.7cm wide, 16.1cm deep, 15.6cm high.

Shipping: Free shipping within the Mainland UK. International buyers outside the UK: Please contact me for a competitive shipping quote.

Stock Reference Number: 2070

Date of Manufacture

Luke Honey Ltd has dated this Chinese Export Mahjong Set to the 1920s.

Height
15.6cm (6.14")
Width
23.7cm (9.33")
Depth
16.1cm (6.34")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1101016
Dealers Internal Ref
2070
Luke Honey Ltd
Sellingantiques verified Since Jul 2018
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Luke Honey Ltd Profile Page

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A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
1 / 7
Archive I A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Chinese Export Mahjong Set, Shanghai, Circa 1925

Archive II A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters. View II
Archive III A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters. View III
Archive IV A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters. View IV
Archive V A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters. View V
Archive VI A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters. View VI
Archive VII A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters. View VII
Enlarged Archival View

Luke Honey Ltd
Telephone 020 7450 0914
Location
London
SW8
United Kingdom

By appointment only
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/lukehoney
Verified Since Jul 2018
Items For Sale 22
Items Sold 148
Luke Honey Ltd
Verified Since Jul 2018
View Dealer Info
Location: London, SW8, United Kingdom, , By appointment only
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/lukehoney
Verified
Jul 2018
For Sale
22
Sold
148
A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters.
Chinese Export Mahjong Set, Shanghai, circa 1925
Ref: SA1101016
A rectangular wooden Chinese export mahjong box featuring brass corner reinforcements, a drop handle on top, and a sliding front panel with green painted characters.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Detail View 6
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectGaming Boxes
  • Period1900 - 1920
  • StyleChinese Export
  • MaterialHardwood, Brass, Bone, Bamboo
  • ColourWarm Brown
  • MotifsBrass corner brackets, Sliding front panel, Metal drop handle, Chinese character inscriptions
  • SizeH 15.6 cm (6 in) x W 23.7 cm (9 in) x D 16.1 cm (6 in)

FAQs

Mahjong gained immense popularity in the West during the 1920s, leading to a boom in export sets crafted in Chinese treaty ports like Shanghai specifically for the international market, often housed in traditional hardwood and brass-fitted boxes.

These boxes are typically constructed from dense Asian hardwoods such as huanghuali, rosewood, or camphor wood, featuring traditional joinery, brass corner mounts, drop handles, and sliding front panels, while the internal tiles are traditionally made from bone and bamboo.

Authentic sets from the 1920s exhibit hand-carved bone and bamboo tiles, dovetail or pegged joinery on the wooden boxes, hand-cut brass hardware with aged patination, and often Chinese character inscriptions or makers marks.

An antique gaming box makes an excellent focal point when placed on a coffee table or sideboard, adding a layer of global history, tactile interest, and organic warmth to eclectic or transitional spaces.

Keep the item out of direct sunlight and away from extreme temperature fluctuations to prevent wood splitting. Dust gently with a dry microfibre cloth and occasionally treat the wood with a high-quality museum-grade wax if needed.
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